WTVM Editorials 5/22/15: George Stephanopoulos

COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM) - When George Stephanopoulos disclosed he made contributions to the Clinton Foundation, he apologized to viewers for not publicly disclosing that fact. It seemed to land him in the same type of hot water that burned NBC news anchor Brian Williams for lying about his war coverage.

Not only did the ABC Good Morning America anchor not tell viewers he donated $75,000 to the foundation, he also did not alert his own employer.

ABC News said in a statement, "He should have taken the extra step to notify us and our viewers during the recent news reports about the Foundation."

For now, ABC News is standing by Stephanopoulos.

Brian Williams apologized and got a six-month suspension. Stephanopoulos, so far, just apologized.

ABC News is calling what he did "an honest mistake," perhaps to differentiate what Stephanopoulos did to compared to Brian Williams' many exaggerations.

So far the only consequence for Stephanopoulos is that he won't be moderating an upcoming Republican presidential debate.

That may be enough for some viewers, but Stephanopoulos should have known better. For any interviewer or journalist, credibility is their most precious asset.

It ought to be guarded like gold because it can be gone in an instant.